EltonJohn.comAfter unveiling the artwork for his new album The Diving Board, Elton John has now announced that the album will arrive in stores September 24. As previously reported, pre-orders are being taken now on iTunes. Order The Diving Board now and you'll get an instant download of the album's first single, "Home Again."

The Diving Board will feature 12 new songs written by Elton and Bernie Taupin, as well as three "piano interludes" written by Elton. It'll be available in a variety formats including Standard, Deluxe, Super-Deluxe and 180-gram vinyl. The Deluxe versions will feature a bonus track, "Candlelit Bedroom," as well as live versions of three of the songs that were recorded in Capitol Records Studios back in April.

The Super-Deluxe version includes all of that, as well as a specially-designed and embossed box, a photo book, an exclusive art print, a DVD of the Capitol Records Studios performances, and the album on vinyl.

The Diving Board is a mostly stripped-down affair, focusing on Elton's piano and vocals, plus bass and drums. In a statement, he says, "In many ways, I feel like I’m starting again, making records. Several years ago...I had to ask myself, ‘What kind of music do I really want to make?’, and I realized that I had to go back to go forward again. I needed to strip away the excesses and get back to the core of what I do as an artist. That’s what The Diving Board represents...The Diving Board is the album I’ve been waiting to make for decades.”